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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. row — a line
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wake — a trail
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. drill — army training
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ground — a position
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com